Monday, June 25, 2012
6/25: Scottish Highlands Day 1
Our first stop was at the Wallace Monument. It is a monument to William Wallace, Guardian of Scotland. That's Braveheart. At over 200 feet high it is the tallest monument to a non-religious figure in all of the UK.
As you know, Wallace and his buddy sat atop a hill for a few days looking over at Stirling Castle, trying to find a weak spot in the occupying army of Edward I. They found it. They lured out the entire army on their chargers and heavy war armour, and when they were all in the bridge the scots rushed down the hill to the bridge, and spooked the horses. The panic caused the bridge to collapse and the ensuing battle went to the Scots. This pissed Eddie off so he retaliated at Falkirk. The scotsman that one. Then Wallace's friend betrayed him and Willy was captured, taken to London and ... We all know the rest of the story.
Next we passed through Callander, had a break, met Hamish the sexy highland cow, then returned for a relaxing lunch of fish, chicken, apple cider and rhubarb tart in Callander ((average age of citizens is 65).
We stopped for a wee break at Rannoch More just to get a wee bit of fresh air. The piper has been coming here every day for 20 years and piping. He collects 20p if you want your photo taken with him. So I took a photo of the landscape instead. (15:00)
Then we kept on going and made a wee stop for a wee hill walk around the three sisters before heading to our destination for the night. This is a nice place! Oh and I found another Cameron!
We also passed through Rob Roy (Sheila) MacGregor country and heard some very good stories.
On a new bus and away we go.
McCaig's Tower
We decided to go for a geostroll in Oban, Scotland, the seafood capital of the country, before dinner (fish and venison) and headed up the hill to McCaig's Tower, a structure that was built in the late 1800s and based on the Colliseum in Rome.
More on that: http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/McCaig's_Tower
The walk was breathtaking (taking breath away from the steep street) and the view was breathtaking, too!
We got the cache, enjoyed the view and then enjoyed dinner down below.
Friday, June 22, 2012
6/18-22: Wales the last
Smallest house in Britain this house is only 66cm wide and 175cm tall.
It was lived in by a single fisherman and was built in the 1800s.
Cool.
6/18-22: Wales. Cardiff Castle
Originally a roman fort existed here, built in AD 54. It was used and
rebuilt four times over he next several hundred years until the Romans
pulled out of Britain. Then it was in ruins until the Normans
conquered and rebuilt over it in 1069. Then it was kept up and passed
down for several hundred years, getting old again. In the 1800s it was
expanded, renovated, renewed, refurbished, and recreated as a home for
a very wealthy marquess. The roman walls are still visible. Amazing.
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